The Changing Decorative Art Market

This year has undoubtedly provided a handful of challenges to a number of different industries. Markets and small business owners have been forced to become innovative in not only an effort to stay fresh, but more innately in an effort to survive. The decorative art market has historically been a space in which designers and collectors feel, touch, and enjoy works in person. Interacting and connecting with a piece of fine furniture or art has been an aspect of the sales process that no salesman nor online marketplace has been able to replicate; and the team here at our gallery strongly believes experiencing works of art in person will always be an integral part of this market.

Nonetheless, the COVID-19 pandemic is quickly forcing change and progression. With the fine furniture and art market largely dominated by an older demographic who fail to be as tech-savvy as the younger business generation, industry leaders have steered clear of major technological innovation. Severely limited social gatherings have restricted retail presence and selling opportunities. Simply said, the move to virtual is undeniable – and furniture and art dealers are taking action. Social media has become an incredibly powerful tool within the business world. Fine furniture dealers have begun taking their inventory to Instagram and Facebook in an effort to both interact with their beloved audience and tap into new communities of collectors and designers. Many dealers may not specifically be mindful of their adoption of these new trends. Changes in allocation of capital however, supports the move to virtual. Many dealers report increase spending on photography – a key aspect of virtually displaying inventory. Instagram allows for increased exposure and additional selling opportunities, not to mention inspiring a new generation of aspiring designers and creators.

Greenwich Living on Instagram:

Greenwich Living Antique & Design Center has made a number of changes in the way our gallery interacts with collectors and decorators in response to the difficult business environment this year has presented. Our gallery’s online presence has changed dramatically since the pandemic took hold – including a complete transformation of our social media accounts, website, third-party marketplace presence, and product cataloging. Our gallery has developed a team dedicated to managing our social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Tumblr. We’re also happy to report that our following on Instagram has since doubled and impressions on Facebook have since tripled since our social media initiatives began. Our website has undergone a complete redesign to more accurately reflect our brand and handle increased conversion and traffic. Our team has also ramped up our email marketing, with our bi-monthly newsletters appearing cleaner, more design-forward, history driven, and more promotion focused than ever before. We will also begin distributing monthly virtual catalogs displaying our ever-changing inventory. These catalogs will be sent directly to our community of interior decorators and designers. Our Maison Jansen French Furniture Catalog and 20th Century Icons and Design are live now. If you’d like to access the flipbooks, please reach out to us! Greenwich Living Design also has a substantial online presence among vintage online marketplaces such as 1stDibs, Chairish, Artsy, Etsy, eBay. Additionally, we’re excited to announce new partnerships with The Bruno Effect and One Rent Place.